Utah People's Post

The Latest News from the Beehive State

Tuesday, January 19, 2021
Log in
  • National News
    • Female Caseworker Killed & Doctor Shot in Philadelphia
  • State News
    • Car Chase Leads to Drug Arrest
  • Tech & Science
  • Health
    • How to Prepare For Ticks Season
    • Magical Weight Loss Bean Scam
  • Sports
  • Business
You are here: Home / Tech & Science / New Horizons Gets Ready to Study New World Beyond Pluto

New Horizons Gets Ready to Study New World Beyond Pluto

Posted by

Artistic representation of the Kuiper Belt

Artistic representation of the Kuiper Belt

 

Following the resounding success of the Pluto flyby mission that took place in the summer of 2015, New Horizon leaders are now looking to discover what’s further away from the dwarf planet.

This summer is supposedly reserved for exploring a newly discovered icy rock, currently known as 2014 MU69. Scientists don’t know much about its surface, except that it also orbits the Sun, but at roughly a billion miles away from Pluto.

But why put so much effort into a rock that’s so far away? According to researchers, MU69 could be something of a time capsule keeping under lock the secrets of the beginning of our solar system.

Simon Porter, one of the post-doctoral researchers on the New Horizons mission, described MU69 as one of many types of objects (or KBOs) located in the Kuiper Belt – also known as the vast ring of ice debris and rock that goes around our solar system.

Scientists agree that the space objects in the Kuiper Belt were never pushed around by the giant planets; because they have largely remained in the place of their formation, they can hold the key to many answers.

This type of research would be the first of its kind, meaning that if they find funding, researchers will initiate a project with huge benefits in terms of coloring in the blanks of the beginnings of our solar system.

“We can’t conclusively say if it has moons or not based on the Hubble images,” explained Porter. In theory, the biggest objects in the Kuiper Belt have known moons, which means that MU69 also has at least one satellite.

At this point, however, a lot of speculation is involved. But even though NASA has yet to approve the mission, the New Horizons team has taken the liberty of sending a spacecraft in the approximate direction of MU69.

“The spacecraft is on its way to MU69, but in order to actually have the flyby, NASA has to approve keeping the spacecraft on for that long,” added Porter. If the proposal falls through, then the spacecraft will simply have to come back home.

If NASA agrees, researchers plan to turn on New Horizons’ instruments as it flies through the Kuiper Belt, so they can study other bodies along the way.
Image Source: Universe Today

Share this:

  • Tweet
  • Share on Tumblr
  • Email

Filed Under: Tech & Science

mm

About Gabrielle Stewart

Gabrielle Stewart graduated from Case Western Reserve University’s School of Graduate Studies with a Masters of Arts in Communication Sciences. She’s an avid reader and a lifelong learner. She likes to cover a wide range of news, but she’s particularly keen on Science.

Woman working out at the gym

Just 23% of Americans Are Working Out Enough in Their Spare Time

By

Poliovirus Therapy Gives Brain Cancer Patients New Hope (Study)

By

United Airlines airplane

Passenger Mysteriously Dies on United Airlines flight Bound for Boston

By

Breakfast sandwich

Here Are Some Foods No Nutritionist Would Ever Eat

By

Poppy flower

UN Warns of Surge in Opium-based Drugs and Cocaine Supply

By

U.S.-Canada border

French Jogger Detained 2 Weeks for Accidentally Crossing Border

By

Plus size model

Normalizing Plus Size Could Fuel Obesity Crisis (Study)

By

Giant manta ray

Unique Manta Ray Nursery Spotted off Texas Coast

By

The rainbow flag

WHO Scraps Transgenderism from List of Mental Illnesses

By

456 People Dead at U.K. Hospital after Taking too Many Painkillers

By

Kenyan girls dancing

Kenyans Facing Poor Nutrition as Supermarket Shopping Is on the Rise

By

Pages

  • About
  • Contact
  • Privacy Policy GDPR
  • Staff
  • Terms and Conditions

Recent Posts

  • Just 23% of Americans Are Working Out Enough in Their Spare Time
  • Poliovirus Therapy Gives Brain Cancer Patients New Hope (Study)
  • Passenger Mysteriously Dies on United Airlines flight Bound for Boston
  • Here Are Some Foods No Nutritionist Would Ever Eat
  • UN Warns of Surge in Opium-based Drugs and Cocaine Supply
  • French Jogger Detained 2 Weeks for Accidentally Crossing Border
  • Normalizing Plus Size Could Fuel Obesity Crisis (Study)

Related Articles

  • Crosses on a wall

    Religious People Live Longer, Are Less Stressed than Atheists, Study

  • Antineutrino Detector

    Scientists Discover an Even More Elusive Particle than Neutrinos

  • Funny Albert Einstein

    Time Travel Is Already Here

  • Planet 2003UB313

    Scientists Found Evidence that Elusive Planet 9 May Be Real

  • Kuiper Belt Object

    This Asteroid in Kuiper Belt Is Nothing Scientists Have Seen Before

  • Elephant raising its trunk

    Elephants Communicate with Their Feet, Scientists Confirm

  • Starbucks store

    Black Men Settle for $1 Each after Racist Arrest at Starbucks

  • Tech addiction

    Facebook Pioneers Forming Coalition to Lobby Against Tech Addiction

  • Kaspersky Co-founder Natalia Kasperskaya

    Kaspersky Boss: Bitcoin Was Created by U.S. Govt to Fund CIA’s Black Ops

  • Amazon Go shopper

    Amazon Gets Rid of Cashiers at Its Check-Out Free Store

Categories

  • Business
  • Entertainment
  • Health
  • National News
  • Nature
  • Provo
  • Salt Lake News
  • Science
  • Sports
  • State News
  • Tech & Science
  • Technology
  • Uncategorized
  • West Jordan
  • West Valley City
  • World

Copyright © 2021 utahpeoplespost.com

About · Privacy Policy · Terms of Use · Site Map · Contact

loading Cancel
Post was not sent - check your email addresses!
Email check failed, please try again
Sorry, your blog cannot share posts by email.
This website uses cookies to ensure you get the best experience on our website. Learn more.